PENGUINS WELCOME CHICAGO TO MELLON ARENA ON WEDNESDAY

It’s the first Chicago appearance in Pittsburgh since Dec. 29, 2003, when the Penguins posted a 1-0 triumph.

The Penguins (29-17-9) look to remain hot. They have recorded a point in their last 13 games and they are funning for their seventh-straight home win Wednesday, it is the longest streak since they won nine straight at Mellon Arena from Jan. 28-Feb. 22, 1999.

Sidney Crosby maintains a 14-point lead in the NHL scoring race. He has 87 points (25+62) in 52 games. Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier (35+38) and Martin St. Louis (32+41) both have 73 points in 57 games played – five more than Crosby. Mark Recchi has a three-game points streak (2+3), while Sergei Gonchar has recorded a point in his last four games (0+5).

Likewise, Evgeni Malkin owns a 13-point lead in the rookie scoring race. He has 63 points (27+36) in 51 games. Los Angeles center Anze Kopitar is second with 50 points (16+34) in 58 games – seven more than Malkin.

Penguins rookie Jordan Staal continues to climb his way up the charts. The 18-year-old recorded his first NHL hat-trick Saturday night, becoming the youngest player in league history to do so. He has scored a goal in his last give games – seven goals total. He leads the NHL with five short-handed goals and a 28.0 shooting percentage. He is fifth in the rookie scoring race with 29 points (23+6) in 54 games.